If you loved
The Leftovers
Damon Lindelof · Series · 2014
What hooked you in The Leftovers was the way the sudden, unexplainable disappearance of many forces the survivors to navigate profound existential grief.
Books on the same thread
Left Behind
Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins · Book · 1996
Explores: The Rapture, End Times Prophecy, Good vs Evil.
If the global scale of the Departure in The Leftovers captivated you, this story offers a similar exploration of the chaos and religious uncertainty that follows a sudden, unexplained mass disappearance.
The Goldfinch
Donna Tartt · Book · 2013
Explores: grief and bereavement, obsession and addiction, found family.
Like the characters in The Leftovers, the protagonist here must find a way to exist in the wake of a life-altering tragedy that leaves him forever changed by grief and loss.
Remains
Steve Niles · Book · 2004
Explores: Survival, Isolation, The Undead.
This story mirrors the bleak, survivalist atmosphere found in The Leftovers, focusing on how isolated individuals struggle to maintain their humanity when their familiar world collapses into madness and sudden ruin.
Then She Was Gone
Lisa Jewell · Book · 2018
Explores: grief and loss, obsession, family secrets.
The lingering, unresolved trauma of a missing person in this mystery will resonate with you if you appreciated how The Leftovers examines the long-term psychological toll on those left behind.
Films on the same thread
Weapons
Zach Cregger · Film · 2025
Explores: Child Disappearance, Small Town Secrets, Community Trauma.
This film captures the same unsettling community atmosphere found in The Leftovers, exploring how mass hysteria and local secrets emerge when a group of children vanishes without a trace.
The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson · Film · 2009
Explores: Afterlife, Unresolved Trauma, Family Grief.
Much like the afterlife themes explored in The Leftovers, this film focuses on the emotional chasm between the living and the dead, highlighting the difficult path toward healing after a brutal loss.
A Ghost Story
David Lowery · Film · 2017
Shares 3 threads with The Leftovers: Grief, Loss, Existential Drama.
If you were moved by the melancholic, existential meditation on mortality in The Leftovers, this film offers a similar, quiet look at the way grief persists through time and fading memories.
The Giver
Phillip Noyce · Film · 2014
Explores: Loss of Innocence, Controlled Society, Memory and Identity.
The struggle to preserve individual identity within a controlled, hollow society will feel familiar to you, echoing the way characters in The Leftovers search for meaning in a world devoid of answers.
Podcasts on the same thread
Limetown
Two-Up · Podcast · 2021
This investigation into a mass disappearance mirrors the central mystery of The Leftovers, focusing on the obsessive need to uncover the truth behind an event that defies rational explanation.
Up and Vanished
Tenderfoot TV · Podcast · 2026
Explores: missing persons, small town secrets, pursuit of truth.
Much like the investigative spirit found in The Leftovers, this series delves into the cold, hard reality of how small communities are forever altered by the mysterious disappearance of their own.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Leftovers based on a book?
The Leftovers is a television series created by Damon Lindelof. There are no source-material or adaptation siblings in the catalog for this project, so you should not look for a book version to compare against the show.
What is the premise of The Leftovers?
The Leftovers centers on a world where two percent of the global population abruptly disappears without explanation. The story follows the people who were left behind as they struggle to understand the event and determine how to move forward with their lives.
Who created The Leftovers?
The Leftovers was created by Damon Lindelof. The series premiered in 2014 and focuses on the aftermath of a mysterious event where a small portion of the world population vanishes, leaving the rest of humanity to cope with the sudden loss.
What happens to the people in The Leftovers?
In The Leftovers, two percent of the world population disappears abruptly. The narrative focuses on the remaining individuals who did not make the cut, examining how they cope with the lack of an explanation for the disappearance of their friends, family, and neighbors.